The Ark

37.

I backed away from the railing, tripping over bags of rubbish that were dumped in piles around me. It looked like I was on an automated garbage barge—the illegal kind. Broken pieces of tech and medical waste filled the deck. The strong winds picking up small pieces of plastic and spiriting them into the sea ahead of schedule. The vessel was abandoned and dark—with the exception of a flashing yellow beacon atop a raised control room.

I headed for the light, its amber strobes guiding me up a small set of rusted stairs. The control room was sealed and corroded shut, the metal door impassable. I let out a frustrated cry and punched it hard. The stubborn metal resonated like a gong, drowning out my shriek as my knuckle split.

Hot tears filled my eyes and spilled over my cheeks, only to be washed away by the rain. I sank down onto the top step and watched the Ark drift further away through a watery haze.

I didn't know who I was more disappointed in—Zaphron for tricking me the way he had, or myself for falling for it. I'd actually liked him and look at where that had gotten me—tossed out with the garbage.

I clutched my stomach, the rocking of the barge making me equally as sick as my spiralling self-loathing. The thought of his hands on my body, his lips on mine—I swallowed down a retch.

The rain washed the blood from my knuckles as I leaned on the stair rail and closed my eyes. My throat ached at the thought of all the wasted energy that had gone into this fight. All of Dad's work—his death—was in vain now that Zenith had gotten her way.

All because I'd trusted the wrong guy.

The rain started to ease and the Ark grew further away. Dark clouds and lightning flickered over the continent, as though a storm was attached to it. I tilted my head back on the rail and stared up at the parting clouds. Tiny pinpricks of light littered the sky and fresh tears filled my eyes.

Stars.

They were even more beautiful than I'd imagined. Like tiny diamonds set into onyx. I put a hand to my chest, choking back a sob, my fingers grazing the thin chain of my necklace.

After all this time I still had the pendant. I pulled the star out from under my hoodie, its gold sheen exaggerated in the flashing yellow light. I cast my eyes back up to the glittering night sky and blinked back the tears.

At least I got my wish to see the stars.

I rubbed the pendant between my thumb and finger, wondering what Dad would have thought of the view—when I noticed something.

There was a crease in the metal of the pendant. Invisible in the low light, but obvious by touch. I dug my thumbnail in, prying it back and forth. My nail bent, threatening to break, until there was a tiny snapping sound and the star broke in half.

I turned over both halves in my fingers, paradoxically mixed feelings of hope and dread welling inside me. There was a glint of something metallic in one half, I pulled out the hidden object, my throat suddenly rough.

It was a tiny chip.

The artificial cliffs of the Ark's coast melted into the distance. Its light seeping from the horizon like a neon sunrise.

I tucked the pendant under my hoodie, hiding it from view. With the chip back inside, the chain felt heavier around my neck.

I'd half convinced myself it probably just contained old photos and vids, memories Dad thought I might like—but a stubbornly hopeful part of me doubted that. Would he have gone to such trouble just to hide a keepsake? And why not mention how special it was when he gave it to me? The subtle way he'd passed it off as one of his guilt-gifts was weird—as though he'd wanted me to have it and forget about it.

Which was exactly what I'd done.

I forced a lump back down my throat and leaned heavily against the railing. If this chip contained the malware, then what was on the chip from the lodge?

What had Zaphron given Zenith?

I tried to squash the thought before it could give me false hope. Even if this new chip contained the malware, it was no use to anyone if it was stuck out at sea with me. 

I let out a breath and threw my eyes skyward, running a hand through the damp tangle of my hair. More stars had appeared above, adding to the thousands that lit the night in mesmerising patterns. They were too beautiful to be real.

One star in particular caught my attention. It shone just above the horizon and was brighter than all the others—and it looked like it was moving.

I blinked hard and refocused my gaze—finding it again and confirming that it definitely was moving. I scrambled to my feet and stared, the light growing more intense with each breath. As it got closer, I spotted a second floodlight cast into the water from above. My stomach fizzled at the sight of the neat circle of turquoise cut into the inky black sea.

Someone was looking for me.

I stared to jump, flailing my arms around in the dark like a lunatic—then a thought struck me and my excitement curdled.

What if it wasn't a search party? What if it was Zenith's people?

I tore my eyes from the light and scanned the dark piles of garbage around me. At the bottom of the stairs, a broken wall screen lay atop a pile of tech trash. I rushed down and pried a large shard from the shattered screen—just as light pooled around me and air blasted from silent turbines directly above. My hair whipped into a frenzy and pieces of metal and plastic scuttled out to the rails.

I readied my weapon, holding it out in front of me as a final woosh sounded and a hoverboard dropped neatly onto the only clear patch of deck. I tightened my grip on the shard, the edges of the glass biting into my hand as the pilot twisted off their helmet. The strobing yellow beacon above illuminated glimpses of wild black hair and bright blue eyes.

Zaphron.